Uconnect Hands On Video: Inside the 2014 Ram 2500

The Chrysler Uconnect system is an in dash entertainment and productivity system that delivers control of the vehicle, your phone and access to apps from inside new Chrysler vehicles.

We recently had a chance to take a quick drive in the 2014 Ram 2500 with one of the latest Uconnect systems and were able to record the system with Google Glass to show you what it’s like to use Uconnect and several really cool features inside the Ram 2500.

The Uconnect system uses an 8.4 inch display that is very easy to read and reach from the driver seat of the 2014 Ram 2500. The system delivers on-screen controls as well as tactile controls on the center stack. There are also numerous controls for the system and voice controls on the steering wheel.

2014 Ram 2500 Uconnect Hands On

We filmed the following Uconnect demo through Google Glass, to show you what it’s like to sit in the driver seat of the 2014 RAM 2500 and what the system will look like to you.

There are a lot of interesting features here, but one of the most exciting ones for truck owners with a fifth wheel is the use of two backup cameras, one in the rear view mirror to handle backing up and one in the in dash screen to show the truck bed for lining everything up.

One of the other interesting features of this system is very accurate voice control thanks in part to the use of Nuance technology that does the speech to text computing in the cloud. The service was able to accurately take dictation of the opening song from Fresh Prince of Bel Air and send it as a text in one try. Voice texting works with Android and BlackBerry but the iPhone doesn’t include the right tech to support sending text messages, though it can receive them.

Uconnect in the 2014 Ram 2500.

The Uconnect system also simplifies voice control in many areas by allowing users to speak destinations more naturally. For example entering an address on the Ford Sync system that is in another state requires a multi step process, whereas the Uconnect system lets the driver speak the full address at once. This is a small feature, but very useful for many drivers.

With Uconnect Access the Ram 2500 is a large WiFi hotspot that will only run out of power when you run out of gas, and there is a power outlet in the model we tested for mobile productivity that doesn’t end. The Uconnect Access system is only 3G, but it’s still a handy feature. Also included in this is the ability to remote start the vehicle, remote trigger lights and the horn as well as remotely lock or unlock the doors. The service also includes stolen vehicle assistance and 911 call capabilities.

One of the other features that really impressed me is the Yelp integration because it means an end to outdated POI information in the in dash navigation. Unlike some systems which won’t have the latest information about restaurants, the Uconnect system can search Yelp by voice to find any Yelp listing that is in the app. The video above shows this in action.